Garbology

A student in ENVE 560, Investigating and Evaluatiing Environmental Issues, decided
to do his community service project on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. WKU graduate
student Dan Wilson conducted a dumpster audit for several dumpsters on campus. Students
from one of Dr. Ritchie Taylor’s undergraduate classes agreed to help Dan tear apart
bags of garbage to see what WKU faculty, staff and students had thrown away. Much
of what the WKU community had considered “waste” was actually recyclable. The students
then separated the recyclables from the waste and made sure the plastics, paper and
glass were recycled this time. Here are some recycling facts that might make you wonder
why anyone would choose not to recycle!

The amount of recycling in 2007 saved the energy equivalent of 10.7 billion gallons
of gasoline and prevented the release of carbon dioxide of a approximately 35 million
cars.

Each ton of mixed paper that is recycled can save the energy equivalent to 185 gallons
of gasoline.

Disposal of waste to landfills has decreased from 89% in 1980 to 54% in 2007.